Thursday, October 18, 2012

Read 1

A while ago I heard a presenter talk about how to make the
reading of God’s Word a habit in your
life. Two things stuck with me that day. One was the constant reminder that
when we are reading God’s Word, we always have a defender. His point was that the
devil is always trying to distract us from doing it. Talk to some of the
greatest spiritual leaders, and they will tell you how they constantly wrestle
with making sure this discipline is in their lives.

Second, he addressed building the habit in your life so that
it is common. I am not sure what it was when you were a kid, but we all have
things we just know will happen. Some of us had dessert every night, some of us
always had time to play a game or do something else. No one had to force you to
like those things--it just was natural. Your family did them as you grew up,
and you continue to enjoy them into adulthood.
Mine is music.

Music was something that permeated my house. My mom and dad
had records that we listened to. I remember break dancing to Michael Jackson in
my living room as a kid. My dad played the guitar and I have memories of
singing songs with him. My mom sang to us all the time. I remember long car
drives and hearing Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel or Glad. One of my first
purchases as a boy was a stereo. I can tell you my first Cd I ever bought. My
brother randomly texts me song lyrics. Music is in my family through and
through. No one ever told me to like it, and no one ever had to because it was
modeled for me every step of life. My kids now have music in their lives. There
are already times when they are dancing in my office or living room. Jacob, my
four year old, taught Gavin, my two year old, the lyrics to Carly Rae’s “Call Me
Maybe.” You should hear Gavin try and sing “This Is Crazy.”

We all have things that we naturally teach our kids to love
because we love them. Stickers on my car, my planner, a picture on my office
wall, all indicate who my

favorite artist is. It all started with my parents’ love for
music, and how it became my love. But what if we did that with Scripture? What
if our kids naturally saw us read God’s Word every night? What if we were
reading it to them? Would it make it that much easier to fall in love with it?
Would they tell you that no one made them like reading God’s Word--it is just
what our family does?

I believe it is absolutely necessary to set this model, and
build this habit in as a young kid. Because the older you get, the more challenging
it is to build it. Some of us know the fight of convincing ourselves day in and
day out to get back to God’s Word because we know He is the source of life and
truth.

In my house we have an age appropriate Bible and my boys know
where it is. It is the last book we read before bed. They know where to get it.
Trust me, I am not perfect but I am trying the hardest to make it a practice in
their lives from early on. I believe in the power of God’s Word. I know it is
necessary to know what He says as a disciple. This world can tell me so many
lies, but His Word tells me that I am loved, unique and His. This is my heart--not
just for Mt. Calvary, but for the Church at large. I know it is hard. I know we
have a defender, but the more we practice it in our lives, the better shot we
have to stay connected to the strongest Words that have ever been written. We
stay connected to the God who redeems us. We stay connected to the redemption
we need in a world of pain. Read 1.
Just start with one verse a day, and I know God will grow your life to enable
you to hear His Word to you.